If you don't live in a rust belt area, the following ramblings will not be apropos to your situation and may be best ignored. Recently I became vocal after the publication of a photograph depicting the rusting of a new steel trailer frame. The original poster defended the photo stating, I'm paraphrasing here, that yes it was rusting because it was not Galvanneal.

That was my point.

I had a Pontiac minivan. The body consisted of plastic cladding that after several years of use, still looked pristine. However, the pan (frame) and mechanical plumbing were all made of steel. Most of the brake lines, engine and transmission oil cooling lines, and power steering lines rusted to the point of failure. The pan had holes that penetrated into the body. This occurred in spite of weekly undercarriage washings during the winter months.

I now have a newer van. It has no factory undercoating as was described by one forum member. And in spite of "Facts that it can't do so" as described by another member, it too is rusting after only a few years of life.

One of the facts of life is that most metals oxidize. Ferrous materials rust, and aluminum corrodes. How quickly this occurs depends on the usage and the "ingredients" used in the metal's material formulation.

When steel rusts, the repair is involved. The rust has to be physically removed, usually by abrasion. Then the area has to be chemically treated with a "converter" to stop all further oxidation. A primer is added, to assure the complete bonding of the final surface application. 

Aluminum is also damaged by oxidation, and if left untreated, can result in a similar structural detriment as steel. The corrosion is commonly alleviated by the application of a mild acid. Sometimes a follow up application of an anodizing agent is used, to lessen future oxidation.

Trailers that have steel frames and either Galvanneal or aluminum skins, are not immune from rusting problems. While many owners faithfully clean and polish their gleaming trailers, how many bother to look underneath at the undercarriage? Did the photo of the BEE trailer give you any indication of why this might be necessary?

The attractive trailer skin does not support your most prized horse. The skin doesn't keep your axles in place, while they are being slammed by potholes, road edges and many bumps. The frame is the structural support of tons of weight being transmitted to a 2 5/8" ball at the extreme end of the trailer.

Just because your steel framed trailer looks good on the outside, doesn't mean it is structurally sound, or that it will last as long as the skin. Sundowner isn't the only victim of rusting frames, any builder of steel frames can be subject of the same results.

Trailer manufacturers sell to their customers. If a buyer wants a less expensive option because of budget obligations, steel is a relatively inexpensive, strong material. It does its job well within its constraints of environmental issues.

To directly compare the life span and structural integrity of steel to aluminum frames in a rust prone environment, is a disservice to unknowing customers. They expect that their hard earned dollars are buying a life time of satisfaction. They think or are told, that because one part of their trailer is aluminum, all of it is maintenance free. I saw one add that advertised "all areas you can see are aluminum"

These are deceptive practices, and only an informed buyer can sidestep the ensuing traps. Often times their initial savings are wasted, when they replace their trailer with a new one, or spend a great deal of money on a restoration.

Buying one good trailer initially is less expensive than two or three later. Buying a used one lets you see how well a particular brand holds up in the real world, after the glitter is gone. If it looks good after five or ten years, and is structurally sound, you can expect a life time investiment. One trailer that lasts a life time and doesn't have to be replaced, is the least expensive trailer.

BOL  Gard

Any structure,be it a trailer,a house,even our own human bodies,is only as strong as its framework.

We live in a 2 story house and the walls are 2X4.I really preferred they be 2X6 but the builder who is a reputable one,stated that they were set on closer proximity as were our ceiling joists,ect than most houses.Having subcontracted another new home myself some years before,I knew that he was truthful.The house still pops and snaps in comparison to my mom and dad's now empty homeplace,built from older lumber and overlaid with Missouri limestone.

Many women,and men also,look strong and may feel strong on the outside,but  inside,a silent thief is stealing their bone structures through osteopenia,the thinning process that brings about osteoporosis,structurally weak skeletal bones that are spongy.It's not discovered until one falls or sometimes merely sits down,fracturing a hip or spinal vertebrae.But,they LOOKED fine.

I agree that what looks good on the outside isn't necessarily true.Before we purchased a steel stock trailer with a steel floor that had sat outside until we bought it,we looked at the underside FIRST,and everything else,later.I encourage anyone that is buying a steel trailer or steel framed trailer that is used to inspect the framework carefully,or have it inspected by a qualified person.If the seller is legitimate,they won't mind.

Lest you think you can relax and become complacent because you own an "all" aluminum trailer - take a look at these pictures.  This is an "all" aluminum trailer from the underside that was 4 years old when the pictures were taken.  And I would not consider where I live to be in a "rust belt".

Those photos show a trailer, that I doubt has ever had any maintenance performed on it. It has been severely neglected. If that corrosion were allowed to continue, the aluminum could be extensively damaged. If someone were to do some basic maintenance now, most of the expensive repairs later could be eliminated.

Every trailer, every machine, needs proper maintenance to ensure longevity. Just owning an aluminum trailer, doesn't give the owner a free pass from maintenance. Any trailer, built of any material, needs constant attention, inspection and cleaning. The inspection and upkeep of the undercarriage, is at least as important as the cleaning of the shell.

Why would anyone spend a small fortune on a valuable trailer, and literally throw it all away? That's what the owner of this trailer did.

Thank you Scoop for showing us your photos. Trying to describe what damage corrosion can do, is difficult. Your photographic evidence is graphic, and may make us better owners, by not wanting our trailers to end up like that one.

Gard

I don't mean to sound critical, that's not my intent. I have never seen corrosion on any aluminum that has progressed to this point, that has had any kind of maintenance. Oxidation on aluminum is usually much slower than steel, and normally your conditions might take a decade of neglect to duplicate. One of my trailers is 11 years old and I have yet needed to acid wash the bottom.

Just as there are thousands of formulas for the make up of steel, there are a dozen or so standards used in the types of construction of sheet aluminum. In addition there are a variety of hardnesses, from very soft to very stiff.

I'm going to speak in generalities here, because I have never experienced your conditions, in 34 years of aircraft and aluminum maintenance. Stopping corrosion on aluminum is relatively easy. The application of a mild acid, agitated, and reapplied until any discolouration is gone, is all that is necessary. The repair of severe pitting or actual holes is another matter.

Just rinsing aluminum with water to rid the area of urine is not sufficient. I don't know where you live, but some urine did not cause your problems; it almost looks like a massive exposure to road salts. Even they would not have been so aggressive in a short time.

I am wondering if the manufacturer used a wrong grade of aluminum in its construction. Boat builders commonly use the 5000 series, and aircraft, 6000 series. The 1000 through the 4000 series could probably be used for trailers, but I don't know about their longevity and durability. I'm not an engineer; they are the people who decide what is best for other people, and sometimes they are right. I'm the guy who tries to make their products work.

Has this trailer been parked over an unusually corrosive substance? I'm stumped and don't know what happened to your trailer. It's definitely an atypical circumstance, and might be worth investigating. You said you knew of a second similar situation?

I can understand why you prefer a wooden floor. After encountering your situation, I can empathize. Remember a wooden floor is supported by a metal frame. Urine can be trapped between the two surfaces and should be regularly flushed out.

Gard

So you just slammed this guy about not cleaning his trailer, when we find out in the next post that he had indeed maintained his trailer. Just another example of you spouting off your pie hole before you know what your talking about.

Scoop

With an aeronautical engineer in the family, you should have a handle on what happened to your trailer floor. I've reread your responses several times, and now think, that it was the type of aluminum that was inappropriate. If several owners all had the same problems, under different ownership circumstances, the only common denominator is the flooring itself. I'm glad your animals didn't suffer any injuries like your friend's horse

What kind of trailer was it? How old was it? Is it still being produced? It would have been interesting to discover what type of aluminum, was used in the trailer's construction.

Rhino or any other coating applied over active corrosion will quickly fail. It will physically hide the mess from view for a while, but will never bond to the metal. It would be like painting latex over rusty steel, with no primer on a dirty surface.

BOL  Gard

I was the OP in that case.  I didn't defend the pictures, I merely stated that your comment "LOOK, gavanneal DOES rust!!" was wrong, because the frame is NOT GALVANNEAL.

I feel a bit defensive about my choice of a steel/galvanneal trailer, and I wish I didn't.  I made my choice having done my research, and that should be enough.

My husband and I chose a new steel/galvanneal trailer over a VERY USED all aluminum trailer that was the same price.  If we're going to spend $10k, we want to have a warranty and the lower interest rate that you get when you buy new. 

However, your words above explain perfectly why I feel comfortable with my choice.  As long as I perform the necessary maintenance tasks for the frame, I'll be fine.  There are thousands of RV-type camper-trailers on the roads around here with steel frames and most of them are doing just fine... because people are taking good care of the frame.

I feel a bit defensive about my choice of a steel/Galvanneal trailer, and I wish I didn't.  I made my choice having done my research, and that should be enough.

Sharon

You shouldn't feel defensive about your decision, it is the best choice for your circumstances. You don't owe anyone an explanation and the only person you have to please is yourself. You should be very proud of your new trailer, and I wish you a long and enjoyable ownership.

The point I was trying to make, and I apparently did a poor job of it, is that the Galvanneal trailers have a conventional steel frame. Just because the outside looks and wears well, the frame will not fare equally because of the difference in materials. I used your photo as an example.

We owned an all steel stock trailer for about twelve years. The body rusted badly enough that a full restoration was necessary to save it. When we sold it last year, the steel frame, although completely rust encrusted, was structurally sound and if taken care of, would probably be good for another dozen years.

Have a safe trip.

Gard